


I'd Like You Anyway

by KuriKuri



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 17:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6576364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuriKuri/pseuds/KuriKuri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yū believes in soulmates, but that doesn’t mean he <em>believes</em> in them.</p><p>(Or: An AU in which any permanent marking you get on your body - like a tattoo - also appears on your soulmate. And Yū gets a lot of tattoos.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'd Like You Anyway

**Author's Note:**

> yoooooo i've never written any haikyū!! before (how do you write tanaka??? we may never know) and this isn't beta-read #yolo
> 
> Warnings: uhhhh like there's kinda some body-autonomy issues cuz noya gets tattoos without consulting asahi about it, but that's it i think??? there's a very brief, vague mention of asahi having anxiety issues idk

Yū believes in soulmates, but that doesn’t mean he _believes_ in them.

That is to say, he won’t dispute that some people are intrinsically connected – so connected that when a person gets a permanent mark on their body, it also appears on the one they’re bound to. Whether this weird quirk of nature actually means that the two people are destined to be romantically (or even platonically) involved is another matter _entirely_ , as far as Yū is concerned.

“So,” Yū says with a grin as he plops down onto the couch next to Ryū, pulling up the edge of his shirt. “How awesome is it?”

Ryū tears his eyes away from the TV screen long enough to take in the new ink splashed across Yū’s lower stomach, extending out over his hips. It’s a mess of dark black feathers, crumbling apart into silhouettes of small birds.

“Absolutely fucking awesome,” Ryū says with a laugh. “You’re a piece of work, Yū. Your soulmate’s gonna come murder you someday.”

“Well, until that day, I’ll do whatever the fuck I want with my body,” Yū snorts, dropping his shirt back down over his stomach.

“You know, I’ve been wondering,” Ryū says, and Yū grimaces, steeling himself for some bullshit soulmate talk, although Ryū’s generally pretty good about not giving him shit about it. “If you were to tattoo your dick, and your soulmate doesn’t have a dick, where would the tattoo go?”

“Dude, I’m not _that_ batshit,” Yū replies, shuddering. “Please don’t ever talk about dick tattoos again. I think you’d have to be under, like, full anesthesia for that.”

“You’re gonna get more, though?” Ryū asks, pinning Yū with a look he can’t quite interpret.

“Tattoos?” Yū confirms. “Yeah, probably. I don’t have any specific plans at the moment, but inspiration will strike again eventually. Why, are you tired of just having one?”

“Nah, I think I’m good,” Ryū snorts. “Wouldn’t wanna get something that would look totally out of place on my cute soulmate when I finally meet her.”

Yū rolls his eyes, but doesn’t press Ryū about it, or point out that the soul-tattoo he got on his calf on his twentieth birthday isn’t exactly feminine. Ryū was surprisingly traditional about it, though – getting a tattoo for his soulmate to identify him by. It’s rather small, a thin dragon coiled around the final kanji of his name, 介. Not something as boring as just a tattoo of his name (apparently that’s what they do in America), but closely intertwined with it.

It’s pretty nice, and after the amount of tattoos he’s gotten, Yū thinks he’s a pretty good judge of this shit.

Apparently he’s gone too quiet thinking about it, though, because Ryū breaks him out of his thoughts with, “You know, just because your mom’s soulmate was a bitch doesn’t mean yours is.”

Yū shoots him a glare. Normally Ryū’s good about not bringing up this shit, but he can become remarkably… what’s the right word? Romantic? About it, whenever Yū comes back to their apartment with a new tattoo.

“Look, whoever it is hasn’t tattooed ‘please stop getting tattoos’ anywhere on their body yet, so until they do, I’m gonna assume they don’t care,” Yū replies, standing up from the couch.

“Dude, Yū, you know I didn’t mean – ” Ryū huffs.

“Yeah, I know,” Yū sighs. “Just – I don’t wanna talk about it right now. I’ve actually gotta run some errands now, too. Do you need me to grab anything?”

“You bought the latest issue of _Volleyball_ yet?” Ryū asks.

“I’ll pick up a copy,” Yū answers, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

He pulls on a jacket before leaving the apartment, preparing for the crisp February weather outside. He’s never liked the cold, particularly now that it makes him cover up the colorful tattoos that decorate his arms. People take him less seriously when their main focus is on his short stature instead of his ink.

Then again, people are also less likely to cross over to the other side of the street if his tattoos are covered up. Not that he honestly cares that much.

Yū’s first stop is the bookstore – in order to buy Ryū the magazine, and maybe browse through the manga. The day he voluntarily picks up a book for pleasure will be a cold day in hell. He doesn’t even bother to buy his course-books half the time.

The store’s pretty much empty when Yū enters it. Honestly, it always seems to be more empty than full, but somehow Takeda manages to keep it in business. Yū’s half convinced that his weekly magazine and manga purchases are all that’s keeping it afloat.

It only takes him a moment to find the volleyball magazine he’s looking for, but he decides to take his time browsing through the other magazines. He’s paging through a copy of _Nintendo Dream_ when he hears someone say, “Um, do you need help finding anything?”

Yū startles, turning to face the speaker, but when he lays eyes on them, his mind goes blank for a moment, annoyed protests dying in his throat.

“You’re not Takeda-san,” Yū blurts out before his brain fully reboots.

“Uh, no, I’m not,” the man replies, sounding almost apologetic as he wrings his hands awkwardly. “I was just hired yesterday.”

Which explains why Yū doesn’t recognize him. Yū’s certain would _definitely_ remember someone like like the man standing in front of him: broad shoulders, tan skin, pretty brown eyes, and long, soft looking hair tied back in a bun. Yū’s half tempted to try flirting, even though the guy looks like he could snap him in half with one hand.

“Nishinoya Yū,” Yū says on impulse, face splitting into a grin. The man looks slightly caught off guard at the introduction. “Most people call me Noya, though.”

“Ah,” the man flounders, looking more like a startled deer than a grown man. “It’s, um, nice to meet you. I’m Azumane Asahi.”

“Asahi, huh?” Yū repeats, testing the name on his tongue. “Cute.”

Much to Yū’s delight, Azumane’s cheeks flush a dull pink.

“That’s – ” Azumane sputters, clearly uncertain how to respond to Yū’s teasing.

“I’m just teasing,” Yū interrupts, grin turning into something more akin to a smirk. “You’ll probably have to get used to it, though, Azumane-san. I’m in here pretty often.”

He holds up the volleyball magazine he has, drawing Azumane’s attention to it, who frowns, his brow furrowing. Then, realization appears to dawn on him.

“Are you a friend of Takeda-san’s soulmate?” Azumane asks, tearing his eyes away from the volleyball magazine to look back at Yū, a tentative smile on his face.

“I mean, I know Ukai-san, but I’m actually on the Tokai University team,” Yū answers, straightening up a little and attempting to look impressive. So far announcing to people that he’s on the volleyball team has been a hit or miss, but he’s really hoping it’s a hit this time.

Azumane’s eyes widen, which is a promising sign.

“Ah, are you that middle blocker?” Azumane asks, and Yū has to resist the urge to sigh. It’s not the first time he’s been mistaken for Hinata since word of Tokai’s tiny ace started getting around. Yū still doesn’t know if it’s better or worse that he’s not automatically assumed to be the libero due to his height anymore.

“Libero, actually,” Yū answers, shaking off Azumane’s response. “You play?”

“Oh, um, a little,” Azumane admits, cheeks going pink again. “I’m studying to become an athletic trainer, though.”

“How old are you?” Yū asks, his brain to mouth filter failing him again, his brow furrowing.

“Um, twenty-three,” Azumane answers. “I spent a year between high school and university trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, which I know is kind of unusual, but I – ah, sorry, you don’t need to hear my rambling.”

Azumane lets out a soft, slightly nervous laugh, shooting Yū an embarrassed smile.

“Hey, no, it’s cool,” Yū says, his grin returning. “A gap year sounds pretty badass.”

“It really wasn’t,” Azumane replies with another nervous laugh.

“What, you didn’t spend a year playing in illegal underground volleyball tournaments or something?” Yū teases, pleased with the small amused snort Azumane makes.

“I’m pretty sure illegal volleyball tournaments aren’t a thing,” Azumane says.

“Underground fighting ring?” Yū asks, arching an eyebrow at Azumane.

“Do I really look like that sort of person?” Azumane replies, his smile faltering slightly.

“Nah,” Yū answers easily. Surprise flickers across Azumane’s face. “You seem like you’re more in danger of being mobbed by baby deer.”

“Deer?” Azumane repeats, sounding a little lost.

Yū opens his mouth to explain, but before he can speak, he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He frowns, digging out. There’s a text from Ryū asking what’s taking him so long, and when Yū checks the time, he finds himself swearing under his breath.

“Shit, sorry, I have to – ” Yū starts, sending off a quick reply to Ryū.

“No, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have distracted you,” Azumane interrupts, wringing his hands again. Yū bites the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something about the distraction being more than welcome.

“It’s no big deal,” Yū eventually settles on, waving off Azumane’s concerns. “Whenever I get on the subject of volleyball, there’s no stopping me, so it’s probably more my fault.”

Azumane looks like he wants to protest more, but Yū manages to distract him by herding him over to the cash register instead to purchase his magazines. When he eventually makes his way over to the door, he can’t help but give Azumane a jaunty wave goodbye, pleased when Azumame gives him a slightly more tentative one in return.

By the time Yū sets foot out the door, he’s already trying to think up excuses to come back – the sooner the better.

\---

It’s a couple of days before Yū finds himself back at the bookstore. He never did get to browse the manga, after all.

Much to his delight, Azumane’s at the check-out counter. He’s helping out another customer, so Yū finds himself hanging back a little, picking through the shelves and trying not to glance over too often. It’s difficult not to stare, though, particularly when some of Azumane’s hair falls free of his bun, sweeping down over his forehead.

Apparently Yū’s memory hadn’t actually exaggerated Azumane’s hotness. Now he just needs to figure out how to flirt without making Azumane look like a startled deer again (no matter how cute nervousness may look on him).

Yū’s halfway through the latest _One Piece_ chapter when the other customer finally leaves.

“Hey,” Yū says, tucking the magazine under his arm and sauntering over to the counter. Azumane gives him a tentative smile.

“You’re back soon,” Azumane replies, but it doesn’t sound like an accusation.

“Forgot to pick up some of my reading material last time,” Yū says with a grin, placing the issue of _Sh_ _ōnen Jump_ on the counter. “Gotta have something entertaining. Textbooks make me feel like my soul’s slowly being sucked out of my eyes.”

This comment earns him a laugh from Azumane. Seduction Step One: Complete!

“I understand that feeling,” Azumane admits, a soft smile on his face.

“Even though you work in a bookstore?” Yū asks, resting his forearms on the counter between them. “Don’t let Takeda-san hear that.”

“Ah, I mean, I like books,” Azumane says quickly, “but honestly I think Takeda-san only hired me because I almost started crying during the interview.”

“What, really?” Yū blurts out, his eyes widening.

“I got turned down for every other job I applied for,” Azumane explains, sounding sheepish. “Apparently I look like too much of a delinquent. Maybe if I cut my hair…” He trails off, sweeping a stray lock out of his face and tucking it behind his ear.

“You look really good with long hair, though,” Yū says, trying to resist the urge to do something stupid, like reach out and touch. “I can’t imagine you with short hair.”

“You barely know me,” Azumane replies, his tone wry.

“I do have an excellent sense of style, though,” Yū says with a wink. “And hey, maybe I wanna get to know you better.”

“Are you sure?” Azumane asks, a slightly confused smile on his face. “I’m not terribly interesting.”

“The other day, you said you play volleyball, which in my books means you’re automatically interesting,” Yū replies, grin widening. “Wing spiker, I’m guessing.”

“What gave it away?” Azumane says dryly, and Yū laughs.

“What, besides the fact that you’ve gotta have at least twenty centimeters on me?” Yū teases. “There’s also the fact that your biceps are kind of scary, and that’s just based on what I can see through the lumpy sweater you’re wearing.”

“They’re not – ” Azumane sputters, his cheeks flushing red.

“Wanna roll up those sleeves and prove it to me, then?” Yū asks, trying to see how far he can push the flirting.

“I don’t – that’s, um,” Azumane flounders. “I guess I’ll take your word for it.”

Internally, Yū sighs. Looks like he’s overstepped. Still, Azumane hasn’t accused him of harassment and beyond his slight awkwardness, doesn’t seem to actually want Yū to leave just yet.

This might take more baby-steps than Yū initially thought.

“So, do you have a team you play with?” Yū asks, leaning a little further over the counter.

“Not really,” Azumane admits. “I play with some friends occasionally, but it’s nothing serious.”

“I’ve heard the neighborhood association that Ukai-san plays with is actually pretty good,” Yū offers. “Maybe you could see about joining them occasionally. Or hey, maybe you and I could play each other sometime.”

“Ah, you’d probably wipe the floor with me,” Azumane laughs awkwardly. “I haven’t played seriously since high school.”

“Well, then maybe I’ve gotta whip you back into shape,” Yū replies with a smirk. “I think that maybe you’d surprise yourself.”

Azumane looks caught off guard for a moment, but then a soft smile settles on his lips, and he says, “Maybe.”

“That’s the spirit,” Yū says, and has to clench his hand into a fist in order to keep himself from reaching across the counter and giving Azumane a friendly slap on the shoulder.

“You really like volleyball,” Azumane laughs.

“Volleyball is life,” Yū announces, voice firm. “I’m hoping to go pro.”

“That’s amazing,” Azumane replies, and Yū is a little surprised to find that there’s no disbelief or mocking in his voice.

“People don’t usually tell me that,” Yū says, cocking his head and studying Azumane carefully.

“What do they normally say?” Azumane asks, a frown marring his face and his brow furrowing in confusion.

“That I’m crazy,” Yū answers. He pauses for a moment. “Or I’m too short.”

“You already play for Tokai, though,” Azumane says. “That’s pretty impressive. And height really isn’t that important for liberos, anyway.”

“Exactly!” Yū exclaims, a wide grin spreading across his face. “You might be my new favorite person, Azumane-san.”

Azumane’s cheeks go pink again. Yū’s decided it’s a good look on him.

It looks like Azumane’s trying to come up with a reply, but before he manages it, the soft ring of the bell attached to the bookstore’s front door sounds through the room. Yū has to resist the urge to scowl as he glances over his shoulder to find three people – fellow college students, probably – walk into the shop.

“I should…” Azumane says, biting his lip and nodding towards the other customers. Part of Yū wants to protest that he’s a customer, too, but he’s not quite that childish. He’s already monopolized quite a bit of Azumane’s time.

“I guess I’ll see you around,” Yū says, handing over the magazine to let Azumane scan the barcode. “Maybe next time we’ll actually work out the details for a volleyball game.”

“Maybe,” Azumane laughs, handing back the magazine.

“I’m gonna see you play one way or another,” Yū warns, making Azumane blink at him.

“That sounds vaguely threatening,” Azumane replies. Yū just grins back.

\---

The next time Yū sees Azumane, it’s not actually at the bookstore.

Instead, he’s at the coffee shop a block away from the apartment he shares with Ryū, seeking out his morning caffeine fix. He misses the days when he wasn’t completely reliant on the stuff and could face the blinding sunlight with frankly unnatural enthusiasm. He’s still more of a morning person than anyone else he knows, though.

And it _definitely_ seems like he’s more of a morning person than Azumane.

“Hey, Azumane,” Yū says, sidling up next to Azumane, who’s already waiting in line, staring blearily at the menu board pinned to the back wall.

“Nishinoya-san?” Azumane replies, blinking sleepily at Yū.

“Didn’t I tell you to call me Noya, already?” Yū asks, quirking an eyebrow at Azumane.

“Ah, I guess you did,” Azumane answers, cheeks going a little pink. Yū wonders how it’s possible for him to function on a daily basis if he gets embarrassed so easy. Then again, maybe Azumane just gets embarrassed around _him_ , but that might just be wishful thinking.

“No-ya,” Yū replies, dragging out the sounds. “Just two syllables – you can do it.”

“Noya-san,” Azumane mumbles.

Yū doesn’t comment on the honorific, because he’s pretty sure getting Azumane to use his nickname is a pretty major step as it is. This is only the third time they’ve met, after all.

“Um, I,” Azumane continues, breaking Yū from his thoughts. “Most people just call me Asahi.”

“Is that an invitation?” Yū asks, a grin spreading over his face.

“If you want,” Azumane – no, _Asahi_ – says quickly. “I don’t mean – if you don’t – ”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Yū interrupts. “I probably shouldn’t have ambushed you before your coffee.” He hesitates for a moment, before tacking on, “Asahi-san.”

“Probably not,” Asahi laughs, sounding a little sheepish. “I’m not very coherent in the mornings.”

“Most people aren’t,” Yū replies. “My mom certainly isn’t, and she used to say that there must have been a mix up at the hospital when I was born, because no child of hers should be able to wake up before seven.”

“You were the type of kid who woke everyone else up at the crack of dawn, weren’t you?” Asahi snorts, looking amused.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Yū answers, grinning. “I’ve mostly broken the habit now, though. I’m pretty sure Ryū would kill me if I tried.”

“Ryū?” Asahi asks, brow furrowing in confusion.

“My roommate,” Yū clarifies. “We’ve known each other since high school. We’re practically family.”

“Sounds nice,” Asahi says with a small smile.

“Yeah, well, rooming with siblings has its ups and downs,” Yū laughs. “But yeah, Ryū’s pretty awesome. Actually, we played on the same volleyball team in high school. If you ever actually wanna get a game together, I’m sure I could recruit him.”

“Does everything somehow get back around to volleyball with you?” Asahi asks, but he sounds more amused than annoyed.

“Pretty much,” Yū admits, shrugging. “Is that a problem?”

“No,” Asahi says easily, and Yū finds himself surprised with the amount of relief he feels. Maybe it’s just because he now knows that talking about volleyball all the time won’t negatively affect his chances of actually getting into Asahi’s pants at some point.

Before Yū can think of something to say to continue the conversation, the line starts to move forward again, and Asahi starts moving towards the counter.

“God, finally,” Asahi mutters under his breath – unconsciously, probably – and Yū can’t help the laugh that slips past his lips. “I – I mean – ” Asahi stutters, his cheeks going pink again.

“Hey, no, I get it,” Yū says, an amused smile on his lips. “Gotta survive classes and work somehow. Wouldn’t want Takeda-san firing you for accidentally putting Teen Supernatural Romance in the biography section or something. Go get your coffee.”

“I’ll see you around, Ni – um, Noya-san,” Asahi replies, returning Yū’s smile – albeit, his looks a little more tired.

“Maybe I’ll have to stop by the store later to do a quality check on your shelving,” Yū teases.

“How generous of you,” Asahi replies dryly. “Things are pretty slow around three, though, if you – I mean, if that was a serious offer, or – ”

“I’ll see you at three, Asahi-san,” Yū interrupts.

 _It’s practically a date_ , Yū thinks, but doesn’t say out loud. Baby steps.

\---

It’s been about a month since Yū first met Asahi when Ryū finally brings up the topic.

“Dude, you’ve been acting weird,” Ryū says when they’re sprawled out on their living room couch, game controllers in hand and Mario Cart on the TV screen.

“What do you mean?” Yū asks, frowning but not looking away from the video game. He has a slight lead on Ryū and he’s gonna keep it, goddamn it.

“You’ve been out more than usual,” Ryū replies, trailing off and making a frustrated noise when he can’t quite get around Yū’s car before they slide through the finish line. “And you’ve been, like, smiling more and shit.”

The bit about smiling more throws Yū a little off guard and he sets aside his controller, shrugging and sinking back against the couch.

“There’s this guy who started working at Takeda-san’s bookstore who’s really hot,” Yū answers, his tone casual. “I’m testing the waters.”

“You said the same thing about that girl in your polisci course last semester, but you didn’t walk around grinning to yourself about it,” Ryū snorts.

“Hey! I’m not – ” Yū protests, turning to glare at Ryū.

“You definitely are,” Ryū says, cutting Yū off.

“I don’t know, I’m just trying to take things a little slow this time,” Yū sighs, picking at the hem of his t-shirt. “He’s kind of shy.”

“Look, I just wanna make sure you don’t have a crush or anything,” Ryū huffs, pinning Yū with a surprisingly serious look. “Because I don’t want you to get your heart broken if you start messing around and then find out he’s just holding out for his soulmate or some shit.”

“Oh my god, what are you, my mom?” Yū groans. “I mean, sure, he’s a nice dude, but I have no desire to settle down with him or whatever. He’s just hot, okay?”

“Can I quote you on that later?” Ryū snorts, and Yū throws his video game controller at him. “Alright, alright, fuck! I’m shutting up now.”

“Good,” Yū says. “Now give me back my controller cuz I have to kick your ass in Mario Cart again now.”

“You wish,” Ryū replies with a grin, and Yū pushes the conversation to the back of his mind, and it’s not until Yū’s walking to the bookstore the next day and finds himself trying to think of ways to get Asahi to smile that he realizes that maybe Ryū’s right to be concerned.

Well, fuck.

\---

In the week since Ryū confronted him about it, Yū has determined that he does, in fact have a small crush on Asahi.

(Alright, maybe a little more than a “small” crush.)

“Noya-san?”

“Wha – ?” Yū says, startling. He looks over to find Asahi giving him a concerned look, his brow furrowed and lips turned down in a frown.

“You zoned out for a moment,” Asahi replies. “I’m not boring you, am I?”

“No! No, I just… have a lot on my mind, I guess,” Yū answers, forcing a smile which he hopes looks reassuring. Going by Asahi’s expression, he’s not terribly successful.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Asahi asks, leaning a little further over the bookstore checkout counter between the two of them.

Yū pauses for a moment.

“What do you think about soulmates?” he finally asks. Asahi blinks at him, clearly caught off guard.

“Well,” Asahi says slowly, “I think that some soulmate couples fit together very well. But I also believe that non-soulmates can have healthy, loving relationships.”

Alright, so not an outright rejection.

“What about you, personally?” Yū asks, propping up his chin on his hand. “Do you want to meet your soulmate?”

Asahi’s quiet for an almost disturbingly long moment.

“Not really,” he finally replies, giving Yū a smile that’s almost sad. “Why, are you interested in someone who’s not your soulmate? Because we actually have some self-help books on that – ”

Asahi’s already walking over to one of the bookshelves before Yū can respond, and stretches to reach for a book on the highest shelf. In doing so, though, his sweater rides up a little, and Yū finds his eyes glued to the exposed skin of Asahi’s lower abdomen.

(Hey, just because he’s realized he might be a little romantically attracted to Asahi doesn’t mean the initial sexual interest has vanished.)

However, Yū falters when his eyes land on an intimately familiar pattern of ink, bold dark strokes marring Asahi’s skin.

“Your tattoo – ” Yū blurts out, but then cuts himself off, unsure how to ask what he wants to ask.

“What?” Asahi asks, shooting him a concerned look.

“Your stomach,” Yū says, floundering a little. “There was – ”

“Shit,” Asahi mutters as he realizes his sweater has ridden up, pulling it down quickly.

“Wait,” Yū blurts out. “Can I see it?”

“Why?” Asahi asks, his stance awkward and a little self-conscious.

“Uh,” Yū answers, wracking his brain for an excuse. “It looked cool. C’mon, just for a moment.”

Asahi bites his lip and studies Yū carefully for a moment, before finally sighing and lifting up the hem of his sweater, just enough to expose the design. Yū’s breath catches in his throat as he drinks in the sight. It looks identical to the feather tattoo inked across his own stomach, and he has to resist the urge to pull up his own shirt and compare the designs more closely.

“That’s, um,” Yū says, searching for the right words.

Because for all the time he’s spent hating the idea of soulmates and striving for his own autonomy, the idea of actually _meeting_ his soulmate has never seemed like a real possibility, somehow. Live and let live, and all that.

“It’s not mine,” Asahi replies, tugging down his sweater again. “My soulmate has a thing for tattoos, apparently.”

“You don’t sound like you approve,” Yū says, his voice a little strained.

“I – the design is kind of pretty, I guess,” Asahi sighs, fingers fiddling with the hem of his sweater. “But my soulmate’s already gotten one full sleeve done and is starting on the other and I just… it’s been creating a lot of problems for me.”

“What do you mean?” Yū asks, an icy cold feeling in his chest.

“It’s kind of the reason my job applications kept getting rejected,” Asahi answers, giving Yū a sheepish smile. “People already tend to assume I’m a delinquent because of my height and hair, I think, and when they see the tattoos, well.”

Well shit, Yū thinks.

“Apparently at the last family gathering my aunt asked my mom if I was Yakuza,” Asahi continues, a dejected expression on his face, “and once when I was at the grocery store with my little cousin, a lady called the police, because she thought I had kidnapped him or something.”

“But you – you’re so nice!” Yū sputters over the mantra of _fuck, fuck, fuck_ , running through his mind.

“I mean, it’s not entirely due to the tattoos,” Asahi says quickly, trying to soothe Yū’s concerns. “Even before then, when I was in high school, people made up weird rumors about me being in school for five years and extorting people for money and stuff.”

“I’m sorry,” Yū says, his voice soft.

“It’s not like it’s your fault,” Asahi replies with a weak laugh.

“Why haven’t you, like, gotten a tattoo that says ‘stop getting tattoos’ or something?” Yū asks, clenching his fists by his sides.

“I tried that once, actually,” Asahi answers, a slightly self-deprecating smile on his face. “I kept fainting at the sight of the tattoo machine, though, and eventually the tattoo artist told me to just stop trying.”

Yū doesn’t know what to say to that.

“So, um, kind of going back to the question you asked me earlier, that’s why I don’t want to meet my soulmate,” Asahi finishes. Yū imagines this must be what it feels like to have someone tear into your chest, wrap their hand around your heart, and _squeeze_. “But, I mean, I’m pretty sure my soulmate doesn’t want to meet me either, at least.”

“You must hate them,” Yū says, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “Your soulmate.”

“I – ” Asahi starts, but then cuts himself off. “I don’t completely hate them.”

“What do you mean?” Yū asks, frowning,

Asahi’s quiet for a moment. Then, he carefully rolls up his right sleeve, just past his wrist.

“I like this tattoo,” Asahi finally says, and for a moment Yū feels like he can’t breathe.

It’s the first tattoo he’d ever gotten: thick, minimalist lines of ink converging to make the simple shape of a volleyball. He and Ryū had snuck out the day after his eighteenth birthday, took the train two towns over and convinced a tattoo artist to ink him with nothing but wide grins and the shittiest fake IDs ever made.

“I, uh, told you that I played volleyball in high school, but I actually quit second year,” Asahi admits, rubbing his thumb over the small tattoo. “I got completely shut down by the other team’s blockers and had a bit of an anxiety attack and just… the pressure of it got to me too much, so I quit. And after I graduated, I didn’t really know what to do with myself, I guess.”

Asahi pauses for a moment, clearly thinking of how to phrase what he’s going to say next, and, for once, Yū keeps quiet. His heart’s beating so loudly as he waits for Asahi to continue that he wonders if Asahi can actually hear it – hear how nervous he is.

“I worked some odd jobs, but then, um, this tattoo appeared on my wrist,” Asahi finally says, tracing the dark ink with his fingertips. “And I thought that maybe if my soulmate was that into volleyball, I could give it a try again. I mean, in the end it didn’t really help, but I guess I’d forgotten how much I loved playing. It’s also what made me decide to go back to school to become an athletic trainer.”

Asahi looks up, tearing his eyes away from his wrist, meeting Yū’s gaze and giving him a small, but genuine, smile.

“So I guess it wasn’t all bad,” Asahi finishes, and Yū –

Yū doesn’t know what to think. Or what to do, or what to say, or what to _anything_. Sure, it’s vaguely reassuring that Asahi doesn’t completely hate him, but he also said very clearly that he has no desire to ever meet his soulmate.

Then again, Asahi’s talking about not hating a hypothetical person, who he has no intent to ever meet. Yū can’t help but wonder what Asahi’s response would actually be if he were to open his mouth right now and admit, _Surprise! I’m the guy who’s been tormenting you with unwanted tattoos for the past four years!_

Fuck.

\---

“He’s my soulmate,” Yū blurts out as soon as he bursts through the apartment door. “He’s my fucking soulmate!”

“Who?” Ryū asks, looking up from the game he’s playing on his phone.

“Asahi!” Yū groans, collapsing down onto the couch and slumping on top of Ryū, who mutters a curse as his phone goes flying from his hands.

“I told you you had a crush,” Ryū snorts, fishing his phone out from between the couch cushions.

“Dude, no,” Yū says, looking up to meet Ryū’s eyes and trying to infuse his tone with as much seriousness as physically possible. “I mean he is _literally_ my soulmate.”

“Dude,” Ryū replies, his eyes widening.

“Yeah,” Yū sighs, slumping against Ryū again.

“How the fuck did you not notice?” Ryū asks, but lets Yū stay pressed up against him instead of trying to push him away. “You have tattoos on like half your body.”

“He keeps the covered up because people accuse him of being Yakuza otherwise,” Yū mutters. “Also it’s winter.”

“You’re a fucking mess,” Ryū snorts.

“Thanks for the support,” Yū says dryly.

“So, how’d he react?” Ryū asks, and Yū’s entire body goes tense.

“I, uh,” Yū starts. “He doesn’t know yet.”

“Dude, _Y_ _ū_ ,” Ryū hisses, hitting Yū on the head – which, yeah, he probably deserves. “What sort of idiot are you?”

“I didn’t know what to say!” Yū protests, wincing at how weak his excuse sounds, even to his own ears. “He’d literally just finished telling me about how he never wants to meet his soulmate! Like, ever!”

“Well, then change his mind!” Ryū says, fixing Yū with a steely, unwavering look.

“How?” Yū demands.

“I don’t know,” Ryū replies, tone frustrated. “Grovel or something. Ask him out for coffee so you can explain.”

“Explain what?” Yū snorts. “That he has so many tattoos now because of my mom issues?”

“Yeah,” Ryū says simply, catching Yū off guard. “I mean, he deserves to know, right?”

“I guess,” Yū sighs, glaring down at the faded fabric of the couch cushions.

“Dude, I’ve never seen you act so wimpy before,” Ryū says.

“Hey!” Yū protests. “I’m not – ” Ryū gives him a flat look. “ – alright, maybe I am. It’s just a lot to take in! My fundamental worldview has been shifted!”

“I’ve been telling you for years that your soulmate might not be like your mom’s soulmate,” Ryū replies. “I actually know what I’m talking about sometimes.”

“Sometimes,” Yū snorts. Ryū kicks him in the thigh in response. “Ow, fuck! Alright, thank you for your wisdom, Sensei.”

“There you go,” Ryū says, lips quirking up in a smirk. “Now go get your man, or whatever.”

“Dude, it’s almost ten,” Yū replies. “The bookstore’s closed.”

“You don’t even have his phone number or anything?” Ryū asks, and an embarrassed flush spreads across Yū’s face.

“I was trying to take this slow so I wouldn’t scare him off,” Yū answers.

“Dude,” Ryū says, obvious disbelief in his tone. “How the hell did I figure out you had a crush before you did?’

Yū grabs a pillow and hits Ryū in the face with it.

\---

The next day, Yū shows up at the bookstore armed with coffee. He’s ninety nine percent sure he got Asahi’s order right, and he’s praying to every deity he can name that it’ll placate Asahi at least somewhat if he gets mad.

Shit, he should be realistic. _When_ , not if.

Yū takes a deep breath and steps inside the bookstore. Only, when he looks towards the checkout counter, Asahi’s not there.

“Where’s Asahi-san?” he blurts out before he can stop himself.

“Nishinoya-kun,” Takeda says with a polite smile. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Um, yeah,” Yū replies, face heating.

“Azumane-kun’s taking an exam,” Takeda continues. “He won’t be in today, but I could pass on a message to him, if you want.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Yū sighs, looking at the two cardboard coffee cups he’s still clutching. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” He pauses awkwardly for a moment. “Do you want coffee?”

\---

Yū goes through the rest of the day vaguely distracted, trying not to think about all the different ways Asahi could reject him. He actually bites through his pen in his Sports and Society course and gets ink all over his shirt.

When he gets to practice that evening, though, he does his best to calm down and find his concentration again. Daichi said he’d drop by today, and Yū doesn’t want to make it look like the team’s gone to shit since he graduated.

Yū knows the moment that Daichi enters the gym, because Hinata makes a ridiculously loud noise and goes barreling off in the direction of the gym entrance. Yū can’t help the small, amused snort he lets out at Hinata’s antics, and turns around to greet Daichi, but when he turns around, the smile slides off his face.

Because standing next to Daichi is Asahi, and Asahi’s staring right at him.

For a moment, Yū freezes. Should he wave, or smile, or something? He can’t quite interpret all of the nuances of Asahi’s expression, but his eyes are wide, and his face a little pale, but Yū can’t understand why –

It then occurs to him that he’s wearing a short sleeved shirt, and that his arms – in all their tattooed glory – are on full display.

Asahi’s eyes meet his for a split second, but before Yū can think of anything to say (or, rather, yell across the court), Asahi turns on his heel and all but sprints out of the gym. Yū curses under his breath and takes off after Asahi. Vaguely, he registers Daichi and Hinata yelling his name, but he’s too focused on catching up with Asahi to respond to them.

Asahi’s stride length is considerably longer than his, and Yū can already feel his lungs start to burn with the effort of keeping up this pace, but with every bound he can see the space between them decreasing and –

Yū reaches out and catches Asahi’s wrist, and they both only barely avoid tripping and crashing to the floor together.

“Asahi-san – ” Yū gasps, breathing ragged. Asahi pulls his wrist back out of Yū’s grip and Yū can see that his shoulders are trembling slightly – with rage or exertion or hurt, Yū doesn’t know.

“How long have you known?” Asahi asks, and Yū can hear the tremble in his voice, too.

“I only found out yesterday, I swear,” Yū answers, and his fingers itch to wrap around Asahi’s wrist again, to make sure he doesn’t try to run away again, but he holds himself back.

“But you didn’t say anything,” Asahi says, his jaw and fists clenched tight, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor.

“I was going to tell you today, but then you weren’t at the shop,” Yū replies, hoping it doesn’t sound like just a weak excuse to Asahi. “I didn’t – I wasn’t trying to lie to you.”

“Tell me,” Asahi says softly, but there’s a certain underlying steel to his tone. “Tell me what you were going to say.”

“Well,” Yū replies, taking a deep breath. “First I was going to say sorry.”

“Sorry?” Asahi asks, frowning, glancing up from the ground and finally meeting Yū’s eyes.

“For the tattoos,” Yū clarifies, his voice unwavering, although part of him is still terrified. “For not thinking about how they’d affect you.”

Asahi’s quiet for a moment.

“Do you really hate the idea of having a soulmate that much?” Asahi finally asks, and there’s something vulnerable in his expression that makes Yū choose his words carefully.

“My mom’s soulmate left us when I was three,” Yū admits, jaw clenched tight. “I never knew her, and my mom always said we were better off without her, but some people just treated my mom like shit – like she was dysfunctional or something because – ” Yū takes in a deep breath, steadying himself. “So I decided that I was never going to let my soulmate do that to me.”

“Okay,” Asahi says softly, refusing to meet Yū’s eyes.

“Okay?” Yū repeats, frowning.

“I won’t bother you about soulmate stuff anymore,” Asahi clarifies. “I – if we could still be friends, though – ”

“I like you,” Yū blurts out, cutting Asahi off. Asahi looks at him sharply, confusion and surprise clear in his expression.

“What do you mean by…?” Asahi says, sounding almost hopeful.

“I mean I want to date you,” Yū replies, his voice steady. “If you’d be okay with that, even after all this soulmate shit.”

“But you just said you don’t want a soulmate,” Asahi says, frowning.

“I don’t want a soulmate,” Yū replies, which only seems to confuse Asahi further. “But I liked you and was going to ask you out even before I knew you were my soulmate, and I think – ” Yū hesitates. “ – I _know_ that I’d still like you even if you weren’t my soulmate.”

“I don’t really get it,” Asahi admits, but the corners of his lips turn up in the barest hint of a smile. “But I liked you too. Before, I mean.”

“And now?” Yū asks, trying to ignore the rapid thud of his heart in his chest.

“I think,” Asahi says slowly, “if you asked me out for dinner, I’d say yes.”

“Asahi-san, will you get dinner with me?” Yū asks, a smile spreading over his face.

“I’d like that,” Asahi replies.

\---

“Asahi,” Yū says, pressing himself up against Asahi’s back as they stand in the tiny space in Asahi’s apartment that passes for a kitchen. “Asahiiiiiiii.”

“Hn?” Asahi grunts, blearily pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“If I wanted to get another tattoo – ” Yū starts.

“No,” Asahi replies, cutting him off.

“It's been almost a year!” Yū says, resisting the urge to do something childish, like pout. “I’d let you pick the design!”

“And if I wanted you to get a tattoo that says ‘my boyfriend says I’m not allowed to get any more tattoos, please refuse him service’…?” Asahi asks, turning around so that they’re facing each other now, Asahi leaning back against the kitchen counter.

“I miss when you used to get all shy and flustered around me,” Yū huffs, stealing Asahi’s coffee and taking a sip.

Asahi’s lips quirk up in a small smile, and he doesn’t make any move to try to steal his coffee back. When Yū pulls the mug away from his lips, though, Asahi ducks down to press a soft to Yū’s lips. He tastes like coffee – not that that’s a surprise.

Yū doesn’t hesitate to crane his neck up to steal another kiss from Asahi, fisting his hands in the soft fabric of Asahi’s shirt. This kiss lasts longer, goes deeper, and Yū’s just starting to lose himself in the feeling of Asahi’s body pressed up against his when Asahi pulls away.

“There’s one tattoo you could get,” Asahi says, catching Yū off guard. “It’s kind of stupid, though.”

“What is it?” Yū asks, curious.

“I like the volleyball one a lot,” Asahi admits, brushing his fingers over the skin of Yū’s inner wrist, brushing over the tattoo. “It, um, means a lot to me, because I don’t think we would have even met if – but I thought maybe you could alter it a little and add another copy of the tattoo, so they’re interlocking.”

“Like a pair?” Yū asks, and Asahi nods, soft pink staining his cheeks. “That’s so sappy.”

“I said it was – ” Asahi mumbles, but Yū cuts him off with another light kiss.

“You’re not gonna regret it later, are you?” Yū asks, quirking an eyebrow at Asahi.

“You’re doing it?” Asahi replies, eyes widening a little in surprise.

“Yeah,” Yū answers. “I like the idea.”

“I’m not going to regret it,” Asahi says with a soft smile.

Yū kisses him again for good measure.

**Author's Note:**

> my anime/manga tumblr is [letaizawarest](https://letaizawarest.tumblr.com) but my main tumblr (teen wolf and marvel) is [authorkurikuri](https://authorkurikuri.tumblr.com) (come talk asanoya to me *saxophone noises*)


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